Lost
by morgana starfire
Summary: Sasuke felt, well, lost. With no direction in his life he spent time helping out his brother with his science project. Until something goes wrong and Sasuke finds himself in another world, in aother Sauske's body. How was he going to get back home?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is going to be a 2-part series. This is a SasNaru/Narusas fic and there will be boyxboy love.**

**I do not own Naruto**

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**Chapter one: Shattered**

It was one in the fucking morning, and Sasuke still wondered what the hell he was thinking agreeing to come along. The streets were practically empty as the car moved quietly down the street. Everyone was in bed sleeping, the lucky bastards; he stifled another yawn.

"You didn't have to come you know." His brothers voice held a bit of amusement.

Sasuke glanced at him sideways, trying for a glare but really not in the mood for it. Instead he shrugged and slid down in his seat. "Nothing better to do."

Itachi grunted. "Still haven't decided what you are going to do yet?"

He just shrugged not really wanting to look at him. Itachi could glean way too much info out of him just from his responses. Sometimes it sucked having an older brother who was a genius. A hand reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" Sasuke hit his hand away. "Knock it off."

Itachi just smiled and turned back to the road. They settled back into silence again as they neared their destination.

"Want to talk about it?"

Sasuke heaved a sigh. He knew Itachi wouldn't let up, but it was one of the reasons he agreed to help his brother out on his project. Itachi always seemed to help him work out his problems, but he wasn't sure if he could help this time. He turned to look at him.

"I just don't know." God this was harder then he thought it would be. "I just feel...lost. I don't know what to do."

Silence again as Itachi pulled up to the entrance gate; he reached out and punched in the code. It was a warm night and they already had the windows down in the car. They pulled forward again as the gate slid opened.

"What about the Academy? You scored nearly one hundred percent on the entrance exam."

"Yea, but I only did that for Dad. You know how he really wanted one of us in law enforcement with him. But, I don't know. I guess that's an option, but I'm not sure if that's what I really want."

"There's also the University."

Sasuke glared at him.

"Okay, okay. You've probably already heard this all from mom. So, what is it that you _want_ to do?"

What did he want to do? His mind was a total blank. Of course all those things everyone told him through school and home flashed through his brain. The Academy, University, hell he could even just do some traveling. But nothing really...appealed to him. Sasuke felt like he had fallen off the boat with no land in sight. "God, I have no fucking idea."

The car pulled up to the huge building and parked. With it being so late, or early depending on how he looked at it, there were only a few other cars parked. The lights flicked off as the engine died sending them into a semi-darkness as the too bright yellow light from the building illuminated them eerily.

"Remind me again why you have to do this so early?" Sasuke groaned as they got out and started gather up their things.

"Because my dear little brother, my project requires lots of energy and the best time to do that is when everyone is asleep."

"Hn," Sasuke replied as he opened the back door of the car and pulled out a box to pack inside. Itachi had his own hands full as they neared the door. He used his elbow to press the security button on the side.

"_Bout time you showed up_," A voice said from the box.

"Hey, we're early. Not all of us are work freaks like you." Itachi replied. "Some of us have lives you know."

_"Whatever, just get in here. So troublesome."_

The door beeped and Itachi pushed it open. It was just a short walk to the elevator, and with there being no one else in the building, it was waiting for them. It was a quick ride down and when they stepped off Sasuke already knew where to go; since he had been there so many times with Itachi he practically knew the way by heart. It was one of the things he enjoyed; watching his brother work. Itachi never seemed to have the same hang ups he did. He always knew what he wanted to do and he did it. Something he wished he could figure out himself.

Walking into Itachi's office he turned and set the box down and began to unload the recording equipment and laptops and set them down on the long table against the wall.

"Do you need help setting up the equipment?"

"Geez, you think this was my first time here or something." Sasuke growled back at his brother. "I got it, go set your giz up. I'll meet you in the control room when I'm done."

He continued to pull out the various equipment when a hand on his shoulder made him pause. He looked back at Itachi who gave him a small smile. "Give it some time. I know you; you will find what is missing and when you do, everyone better stay out of your way."

Sasuke smiled back at him, grateful for his brothers understanding.

"Or you can just become my personal assistant and forever be under my command."

Or not. Itachi ducked the swing Sasuke took at him. "Bastard!" Sasuke yelled as Itachi took off down the hallway, his laughter trailing behind him. He wasn't mad, not really. He turned back to the equipment and began to gather it up. He had at least a dozen spots he needed to hook the recording info up to, and not a lot of time to do it.

The building was huge, it was at least two football fields in length and width; and three stories underground. Its circular pattern making the journey longer then it really should be. Sasuke jogged to the next junction and quickly hooked up the recording box. Itachi wanted to take various readings this time and see what he could analyze out of it. He knew that each box was going to record something different. Even though his brothers work fascinated him, the mechanics of it all went over Sasuke's own head. Sure he could grasp the basic theories of what his brother was researching, but when it came to the actual processes, he had no fucking clue. Quantum physics, string theory, M-theory, alternate universes, right, whatever made his bro happy. He still found it interesting, which was why he came to watch his brother work. He swiped the sweat on his forehead and started to jog to the next junction.

With the last box installed, Sasuke made his way to the control room. He pulled the metal door closed behind him as he entered. The control room was dark, being lit only by computer screens and a small desk lamp. Before them was a huge thick glass window that had been enforced with so many things Sasuke couldn't care to remember. If reflected their mirror images of themselves as it was still too dark beyond to see anything. Itachi was already at the controls, warming the system up; his assistant sat beside him.

"Hey Shikamaru." Sasuke greeted the other kid in the room. The guy was the same age as he was, and he was already working alongside his brother. Not genius level like Itachi, but close. Shikamaru nodded at him, his attention on the data screen in front of him.

"Sasuke, glad you could come out."

"Everything up and ready to go?" Itachi asked without even looking at him. Sasuke slid into the chair next to him and grunted. He watched his brothers fingers fly over the keyboard. A small hum began as the machine warmed up.

"So, what's the purpose of this run?" Sasuke asked as Itachi handed him a pair of eye protection glasses. Sasuke slipped them on and looked out into the dark vastness of the room before them. He knew there was no need for them to waste their precious electricity on lights when it would soon be lighting up on its own.

"Well, if my theory is correct, and I've made the correct resonance and electric calculations, we should be able to get a glimpse into an parallel world."

"Hn," Sasuke replied. Okay, to be honest he was kind of excited.

"Engaging to twenty percent." Shikamaru said

The low hum intensified and a few sparks could be seen in the dark room before them. It almost looked like fireflies that winked in and out of existence. Itachi kept his eyes on the data in front of him, his fingers making quick adjustments as needed.

"Forty percent."

Again the low hum intensified and Sasuke could feel it begin to pulse slightly. The vibrations rumbled through his body. A pale light began to glow, barely illuminating the room, keeping the edges in shadows.

"Sixty percent." Shikamaru had to raise his voice louder to be heard over the noise.

Now the pulse seemed to intensify, getting louder and softer as it ran through its circuits. Points of bright light seemed to materialize within the room, reminding Sasuke of small balls of lightening as they sparked.

"Eighty percent." Yelled Shikamaru.

Sasuke had to admit that it was pretty thrilling. His heart hammered along with the pulse as the balls of lightning began to expand and then connect with each other. Within the bright light he caught sight of colors and, Sasuke gasped. He could have sworn he saw a landscape for the briefest of moments.

"One hundred percent." Shikarmaru yell was barely heard over the noise.

The light connected completely and seemed to merge until if formed what he could call a cascade of light. Itachi stood up and Sasuke couldn't help but stand up next to him. There within the light was, well, something. Sasuke's heart pounded with excitement. Landscape, trees, grass, sun. It was blurry, as if they were looking through a wet window plane. Sasuke grabbed hold of Itachi's arm, knowing he wouldn't be heard over the noise. Itachi looked back at him, a grin on his face.

"You did it!" Sasuke said, his returning grin huge on his own face.

Itachi turned back to the computer and began to make his final calculations before shutting it down. when the computers suddenly went black. You could feel the actual change in the hum as it was no longer controlled or monitored. Shikamaru flicked some of the on and off buttons to no avail.

"What happened?" Itachi yelled.

"Unauthorized power flux." He yelled back.

"Shit!" Itachi shouted and ran over to a power box on the wall. He yanked it open and began to flip switches restoring power back into the room. Red emergency lights began to flash, and the blaring alarm sounded that was barely heard over the already loud hum. Sasuke watched as they both flew back to their computers and began to type furiously, trying to bring the system back on line and get things under control. It was unnerving how that vibration felt unsettling to him. It was like listening to music that was off key or out of harmony.

He doesn't remember looking back towards the light, it sent unprecedented chills down his spine. The cascade was wavering and fluctuated. The light no longer pulsed in a uniformed pattern but was erratic, shooting lightning bolts that hit the floor and ceiling and walls of the room. But it didn't just strike but seemed to looking for something to latch onto; the ends curling and twisting against the surface. In the middle of the cascade light was a dark hole, which seemed odd to him since the rest of the room was so bright. A large tearing sound echoed through the room. It reminded him of material ripping but was so loud that he had to cover his ears. A fierce wind began to blow and the noise got so bad that even Itachi and Shikamaru stopped what they were doing and them had to cover their ears as well. The hum itself felt like it was going to shake Sasuke apart.

It was then that one of the lightning arms reached far enough and ensnared Sasuke. Sliding through the enforced glass barrier as if it were nothing. The light twisted around his body, effectively holding him still. If he could have screamed he would have, it felt like everyone of his molecules was melting and being torn apart.

"Sasuke!" He could barely hear Itachi over the noise. He wasn't able to move his head but his eyes glanced over to see his brothers panicked face and Shikamaru holding him back. Then his world went white, shattered and then black.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not own Naruto**

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**Chapter two: Mission Accomplished**

Naruto struggled to push himself back up, his eyes coming back into focus found those cold black eyes staring back at him. Sasuke still had his sword embedded within Yamato, Sai was still struggling to sit and Sakura seemed paralyzed on what to do. And yet the world had seemed to stop as they just looked at each other. If it was the last thing he did, Naruto was going to bring the bastard home and get him away from Orochimaru.

They had come so far, and had finally found him. There was nothing under this sun that was going to stop him from knocking some sense into Sasuke. Part of Orochimaru's lair lay in ruins around them and still their eyes stayed locked on each other.

The Kyuubi was fighting him again, wanting to share his power, but he was trying not to do it. Naruto kept losing control, giving into the immense hate that was so strong within the Kyuubi's chakra. Sasuke had been there, inside him and had forced the Kyuubi back inside his cage; and with such ease that it made Naruto shiver. He wasn't sure what to think of that. He was about to open his mouth when a large boom sounded above them.

All of them looked up.

It was like a black hole had opened up in the sky; lightning flaring out from its depths. Even though it was daytime, the light seemed so bright it hurt his eyes. How could something so black make light come from it? The wind was blowing before but now it seemed to pick up in intensity, whipping dirt and debris around them. Another boom and concussion of air pushed them all back to the ground, another boom that seemed to last longer was so loud Naruto had to cover his ears. He glanced over at Sakura who was clutching at her own ears, her mouth open in a silent scream. Sasuke was in the same situation as the rest of them, hunched over, eyes squeezed shut, hands pressed to his ears.

Another sound, if he could it that since he felt it more than heard, boomed around them. Something he felt down to the marrow of his bones, and made his muscle tense and quake. The best he could describe it was like something was tearing, cracking. Naruto squinted back up at the hole which now seemed bigger, the light shooting faster and more intense as it began to strike the ground and random intervals. His eyes watered from keeping them open with the dust flying into them and the light that seemed to burn into his retinas. He was positive if he closed his eyes he would still be able to see that light. The lightning from the darkness hit the ground, but it didn't dissipate, it stayed and moved reminding him of an octopus arm, squirming along the ground. One of them came close to him, but it felt nothing like lightning. He clearly remembered what that felt like with what Sasuke had used on him earlier. This felt cold and hot at the same time, it made the hairs on his arm stand up and sent chills through all the way down to his toes. Naruto wanted to get away from it.

He looked up and his breath caught in his throat. Sasuke was ensnared by one of those bright lights. It had wrapped around him and seemed to pulsate. A loud humming began low and quick and intensified rapidly, making the dirt and rubble beneath him jump and bounce.

"Sasuke!" He shouted but either Sasuke couldn't hear him or wasn't able to move. Either way, the light intensified, another bone jarring boom sounded along with another silent wind concussion that sent them all flying backwards. Naruto had to fight to stay consciences as he hit hard into the rocks behind him.

And just like that it was gone. Naruto could hear his own heavy breathing in the sudden stillness. Man, his whole body hurt. For a split second he forgot where he was, what he was doing. Everything was so quiet around him. He slowly sat up and pushed some debris that had landed on him aside. A small groan escaped him and he stumbled slightly as he stood. Blinking his eyes to clear his vision, Naruto looked around him. The crater they were standing in before had doubled in size with boulders and debris more haphazardly strewn around. He vaguely wondered if there was anything left of Orochimaru's hideout.

"S-Sakura?" He called out, his voice felt rough, like it had become hoarse from screaming. "Sakura?" He took a few hesitant steps forward; with each step he became steadier on his feet. "Yamato?"

Off to his right a pile of dirt and ruble shifted as wood beams retracted back to reveal Yamato and Sakura. She coughed and slowly sat up on her knees. Yamato looked dazed and was leaning back against a large boulder, his shoulder still bloody from Sasuke's sword.

"Sakura!" Naruto rushed over to them.

She blinked and looked at at him.

"Naruto?" Her voice was quiet and her gaze cloudy as she looked around. "What happened?"

His heart started to thump in his chest as he looked around. He didn't even know where to start looking for Sasuke. Another slight noise caught his attention and he could see Sai pushing himself to his feet, dirt falling from him like water. He looked like the rest of them, dazed and confused, but otherwise alright. Naruto began to scan the area more frantically, looking for the one person he had come here for. He walked towards the general area he thought he saw Sasuke last. Naruto's heart thumped painfully in his chest as he caught sight of a leg that lead up to the torso where the rest was buried under dirt and rocks.

All thought rushed out of his head as he flew forward and began to unbury his long lost rival. There wasn't much on him, but when he rolled him over the Uchiha was too still. His eyes were closed and Naruto wasn't sure if he was breathing. Something in his stomach clenched and his breathing froze as he quickly, but gently brushed some of the dirt from Sauske's face and looked for a pulse.

"Sakura!" He yelled. "Sakura, I need help!" He turned back to the too pale boy. "Come on idiot, don't you dare die on me now." He muttered trying to keep his panic from rising. Wait, there a small rise in his chest. Naruto leaned over put his face next to Sasuke's mouth and felt just the faintest touch of warm breath. He almost collapsed with relief; Sasuke was breathing.

Sakura came over quickly with a slower moving Yamato in tow. She immediately put her hand to Sasuke's chest, her hand glowing green with chakra. She pulled back after a minute with a slight crease on her forehead.

"Is he alright?" Naruto asked.

Those sea green eyes looked up to his and he could immediately see the confusion in them, along with some unshed tears.

"Yes, as far as I can tell. But," She looked down a moment. "his chakra feels…strange, off somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know." She shook her head slightly. "We need to have Tsunade-sama look at him."

A small pit of dread seemed to settle within Naruto. Something was wrong, something weird had happened and whatever it was involved Sasuke. He felt more then saw Sai gather next to them, his weapon out at the ready, his back to them. Naruto glanced over his shoulder and pure anger flowed through his veins at the sight of Orochimaru and Kabuto. Those snake-like eyes glared down at them. He could feel the Kyuubi's power flood through him. Even though he told the fox he did not want this, want his power, it seemed there was nothing he could do about it; not when it came to Sasuke.

"He's ours now, you can't have him." He shouted up at them. Naruto prepared to attack, positive that Orochimaru would try and retake Sasuke.

"Enjoy him while you can, Naruto-kun. When he wakes he will find his way back to me."

A low growl escaped from him but before he could do anything, Orochimaru and Kabuto were gone.

"Let's gather up our stuff and head back as quickly as possible." Yamato ordered as he attached a pair of chakra draining cuffs on Sasuke. Naruto frowned at that, but he knew that it was for their own safety. Who knew when Sasuke would wake, and he already proved to be dangerous. They didn't need to be taken off guard with him attacking them when their backs were turned.

Now as they headed back towards Konoha, Naruto couldn't help but feel a small tightness within his chest loosen. He had done it. He was bringing Sasuke home.

"It's been over a week granny, when's he going to wake up?" Naruto grumped as he paced on the other side of Sasuke's bed.

Tsunade was doing a routine exam, her hands placed over Sasukes inert form. The glow faded and she stepped back looking down at the sleeping Uchiha.

"He'll wake up when he wakes up." She stated.

"Ugg, that's what you keep saying, but if there isn't anything wrong with him, why isn't he waking up?" Naruto stopped his pacing and placed his hands on the bed. Seriously, this was almost as bad as chasing the bastard down. This waiting.

"Some things I have no control of brat. I haven't been able to detect anything wrong with him physically, but that doesn't mean that something didn't happen to him in his mind. So all we can do is wait and see if he comes around."

Naruto slumped down into his chair. Well, technically it belonged to the hospital room, but it's where he had been practically living since they had returned to Konoha and Sasuke still hadn't woken up. He made quick trips home to shower and eat but still spent most of his time there; waiting. His brows furrowed as he looked at Sasuke's face, he looked so peaceful laying there. Naruto could just imagine the anger and indignation when the stuck-up bastard woke up. But he would not be leaving a second time, Naruto was going to make sure of that.

"Naruto, go home; get some sleep. He isn't going anywhere." Tsunade said softly as she walked by.

Naruto just nodded; they both knew he wasn't going to do it. He was bound and determined to be there when Sasuke opened his eyes. He reached his hand down and grasped the unresponsive hand in his own.

_If_ he comes around. Even granny didn't have a guarantee that that would happen. That light that had come out of the sky had done something to him. He tightened his grip on the warm hand to no avail. Sasuke made no move or response that he was even there, not even a twitch. What if he never woke up?

No, he was not going to think that. Sasuke was strong, he _would_ wake up. He would. And when he did Naruto was going to be here waiting for him. He leaned his head forward to rest against his arm. Damn it! Why was he so weak? Why couldn't he be stronger? He swallowed past the lump in his throat, but couldn't stop the single tear that slipped down his nose to soak into the blanket below him.

"How is he today?" Sakura's asked as she walked in. She probably spent as much time as he did there, always bringing fresh flowers and at least keeping Naruto company. They never really talked about Sasuke, just about what was going on in the village and the current news floating around.

Naruto quickly brushed his face off before glancing up at her, his trademark grin on his face; something he had to force these days.

"Hey Sakura. Granny says he could wake up anytime."

Sakura walked over towards the table next to Sasuke and replaced the flowers in the vase with new ones. Then she turned back towards the bed and gently brushed and straightened the blankets around -him. Her eyes lingered on the peaceful looking face before turning to look at his medical chart.

"That's good," She said as she glanced over the chart. She gave a sigh and placing the chart back into its place she looked to him. Her eyes creased slightly as she looked at him. "Naruto, when did you last get some sleep?"

"Huh, I got some last night."

"Did you go home and sleep."

"Well, ah. I was going to, but then, you see, I..." Naruto stuttered trying to find a good reason why he didn't go home last night.

"Ah, Sakura, Naruto, this is where you have been spending all your time I see." Kakashi grinned as he came into the room.

"Kakashi! Oh, yea I was meaning to stop by and see you, but you know I..." Naruto could have hugged the man for saving him from Sakura. Kakashi just waved his excuse off.

"Understandable Naruto."

"Should you be out of bed Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked him.

"Clean bill of health. Just need to take it easy for the next few days, but I can go home."

"That's great!" Naruto beamed at him.

"Yes, and I expect us to get back to training soon."

"What?" Naruto asked, his smile slipping quickly off his face.

"Sensei?" Sakrua prodded.

"Training. We still have lots to do."

Naruto looked back down towards the bed. There was no way he would be able to concentrate on training. Not when Sasuke needed him here.

"I, can't." Naruto's voice was soft and quiet. "Not until Sasuke wakes up."

"Naruto." Sakura's voice was soft too.

"Now, now. You must continue your training. Sasuke isn't going anywhere and I'm sure Tsunade will let you know if there is any change in his condition."

Naruto griped the bed covers tightly in his fists. His heart thumped painfully hard when he thought about leaving Sasuke's side.

"I'll give you a few more days, but we must continue. You did your job Naruto, you brought him back. It's time to move forward."

Conflicting emotions ran through him. His desire to train and get stronger and his need to stay by his friend's side; were they giving up on Sasuke? Did they not realize how strong he really was and would wake up from this? Yet the excitement of being able to train with Sasuke again when he woke up was so strong it sent shivers down his spine. Training with the bastard always pushed Naruto to do his best.

He wasn't sure what to do. Giving a sigh he was just about to answer when he heard Sakura gasp. Naruto glanced over to her face which was staring at Sasuke's. Looking down, he saw that Sasuke's eyes were open.

"Sasuke!" Naruto practically yelled. He was barely aware of Sakura rushing out of the room to find Tsunade. Hope and excitement bubbled up in his chest, his grin the most real it had been for days. "I knew you'd wake up Sasuke!"

The black eyes just continued to stare straight ahead.

"Sasuke?"

There was no other response; he just continued to stare straight ahead at nothing. Naruto grabbed one of his hands but they felt like they had before, warm but lifeless.

Tsunade burst into the room, Sakura right behind along with Shizune and a few ANBU that stayed by the door. Naruto was forcefully pushed back as Tsunade began to assess him.

"Hey." He cried out.

"Hmm, best we let them do their job and stay out of the way, yes?" Kakashi said smiling down at him.

"Yea, I guess." He muttered, his hands clenching and unclenching at his side, his eyes never leaving Sasukes.

Tsunade barked off readings which Shizune wrote down.

"Sasuke Uchiha, can you hear me?" She spoke down at Sasuke. Tsunade asked a few other questions and performed a few more tests, but still got no response. In fact, Sasuke's eyes had closed towards the end of the exam.

She dismissed the others and turned to face Naruto, a small smile on her face. He tried not to let that spark of hope get too out of control.

"So far, it looks like he is slowly recovering. I was able to get a few decent readings on his brain waves. They still seemed scattered, as is his chakra, but they seem to be adjusting back to normal. I would give him a few more days and he should be more cognate."

"Cognate?"

"It means he should be able to talk to us and respond." Sakura told him.

"That's good right?" He asked.

Tsunade smiled at him. "Yes, that's good."

"See Naruto, a few more days then back to training for you," Kakashi said as he clasped Naruto on the back.

"Ya, a few more days." Naruto was sure they were talking about two different things.

It wasn't long before he was alone again with Sasuke. Naruto leaned back in his chair and stretched. It was late, the sun had already set hours ago. The room was softly lit from light coming from under the door, but there was still no new changes in Sasuke.

Naruto sighed and laid his head back down on the bed. He was glad he was alone tonight; it let him place his hand freely on Sasuke's chest. The steady beating of his heart soothed him and he let a small smile settle on his face. Soon, he would be able to speak to him soon. Without meaning too, Naruto feel asleep.

It was still early when he stirred, a quick glance out the window showed that the sun hadn't risen yet, but he could see the pale blue glow in the sky, meaning that it wouldn't be long before it did. Naruto realized that his hand was still resting on Sasuke's chest, the steady rhythm still there. He glanced to his face, but the eyes still remained closed.

Glancing quickly at the door and hearing no one coming, Naruto turned back to Sasuke and let his hand softly trace the cheekbones and run along the soft skin of his face. He could see why all the girls went gaga over him. Sasuke was very handsome.

Naruto yanked his hand back from that thought and swallowed. Gah, now he was just being stupid. He rubbed his eyes, still tired from the lack of any decent sleep. That was all it was; exhaustion. He reached his hand down and griped the warm hand again, admiring the pale slim fingers as he wrapped his around them.

The slight return pressure made him pause and he quickly looked back up to Sasuke's face. His eyes were closed, but he swore he felt something.

"Hey, you in there bastard?" Naruto asked him, gently squeezing his hand again. Nothing. "Come on, I know you can do it, just squeeze my hand back."

The boy was still silent, unresponsive. Naruto held his breath, but had to let it out soon.

"Damn it Sasuke, I am going to fucking kick your ass if you don't start doing something. Scaredy cat is what you're are."

There was a slight twitch within his grasp.

"Oh come off it, I know you can do better than that! I could barely feel that." Naruto held his breath and he wasn't disappointed. The hand weakly pressed against his and it was unmistakable. Naruto gave a loud whoop.

His excitement was short lived when there wasn't any other improvements the next day. Sakura came and sat with him most of the time, and Tsunade made her rounds as usual. A few others stopped by, but he really couldn't remember who, Naruto had his eyes only for Sasuke, watching for any kind of movement.

When Sasuke's eyes opened again the next day, they stayed open longer. He still stared off in front of him, as if he couldn't see anyone. His fingers twitched and sometimes a crease would appear between his brows, but he still hadn't responded to anyone in the room. Naruto was getting emotionally and physically exhausted. He couldn't sleep properly, knowing that at any second Sasuke could come around, and getting excited with every new movement and twitch he made.

Finally by the fourth day since Sasuke's eyes opened, Naruto laid his head down on the bed and fell into an exhausted sleep, his hand gripping Sasuke's.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I do not own Naruto**

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**Chapter three: Topsy turvy**

The light hurt his eyes at first, making them water slightly and everything blurry. Sasuke blinked a few times until everything came into focus. He tried to move his arm but it felt extremely heavy and strange. What happened? He couldn't seem to remember.

He moved his head slightly and looked around the room; nothing looked familiar. It did look like some kind of hospital room, and held a slight smell of one. Had he been in an accident? God, why couldn't he remember anything? Sasuke flexed his fingers and again tried to lift his hand to his face. It felt so odd, as if his arm and hand had been asleep and was just waking up. He made it halfway before it fell back to the bed, but it seemed to land on something hard and soft and, he looked down, yellow?

The yellow head moved, a groan escaped the body the head was attached to, shifting and lifting itself up. Sasuke's hand fell back to the bed as it was dislodge from said head. His breath caught in his throat as bright blue eyes blinked sleepily at him before going wide. A grin spread across the blonds face as he stared at Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" He asked softly. Sasuke didn't miss the controlled excitement underneath the quiet voice.

He frowned; did he know this person? "Wh..." It was all he could manage. His voice was so soft he didn't think anyone could have heard it and his throat felt weird and dry. "am I." At least that last part he was able to croak out with a grimace.

Unadorned excitement blared across the strangers face. "I knew you'd wake up, I knew you could do it!" Hands grasped his shoulders which made Sasuke wince with some pain. "I need to get granny!" The blond ran out of the room and he could hear him shouting something outside. He was back before Sasuke could even blink.

The blond just grinned at him and then turned his head slightly to the door as the pounding of feet could be heard.

"Look granny, he's finally awake." He exclaimed as a pale haired blond woman walked into the room. She was all business, Sasuke could tell, and wondered if she was the doctor. Her brown eyes were stern as she turned her gaze to him. Her mouth tightened somewhat as her hands came up and began to glow green. He couldn't stop the gasp that came out of his mouth and she looked up him momentarily, an eyebrow raised.

"So he is brat."

Sasuke could feel a tingling sensation rush through his body but it didn't hurt, but it got his heart pumping a bit.

"Hmm, his chakra is still off, but everything else seems to be fine."

"Do you need me to get Neji Hyuuga here to seal off his chakra?" Sasuke turned his head towards another woman with short black hair and dark eyes.

"No, the way the flow is, he isn't going to be using it anytime soon."

"He's going to be back to normal right?" The yellow haired kid asked.

The woman just pursed her lips as she stared at Sasuke.

"Where," Sasuke had to swallow and try to force the words out again. "Where am I?"

"Back in Konoha bastard. I brought you back home where you belong." The kid answered again.

Sasuke tried to sit up, but he really had no body strength. The kid rushed over and helped to prop him up against some pillows. Sasuke couldn't help but flop back against them.

Home?

"How are you feeling Sasuke? Are you having any pain?" Sasuke looked back up to the woman and slowly shook his head. He glanced over at the door where two people were standing on the inside wearing some kind of white masks with an animal face painted on them. They both had swords strapped to their backs, which seemed a little odd too him.

A loud cry came behind the door and a pink haired girl came rushing in. She stopped short of the bed, tears starting to run down her face as she stared at him.

"Sasuke, I can't believe it. You finally woke up; I was so worried." She hesitated a moment as if deciding whether to hug him or not. She took a few steps towards him before the older woman put her hand on her shoulder to restrain her. He just stared at all of them. Who were they?

His mind was struggling, trying to remember what had happened. It had been something unpleasant, he was getting that feeling in the pit of his stomach; something just wasn't right. It was like his mind was in a fog and if he could just reach a little further he would be able to understand what had happened.

One of those spots opened up suddenly and he clearly saw his brother's panic stricken face. He glanced up at the woman with a gasp.

"Where's Ita.." Sasuke clenched his jaw and took a steadying breath. "Where's Itachi?" It was forced and not very steady, but they clearly understood him by the shocked looks he got on some of their faces. They glanced at each other. "My...brother, where… is he?"

Sasuke looked over at the yellow haired kid whose eyes had a look of confusion in them. Those blue eyes dropped to his hands, like he didn't want to tell him something. His eyes went wide as the thought struck. Oh god, no. No, if it was something like _that_ his family would be here wouldn't they? He still couldn't stop the panic from spreading through him.

"What… happened to him? Where is my…brother?" Talking was starting to get easier the more he did it. The paranoia and fear coursing through him also seemed to help.

"We, we don't know Sasuke. He hasn't been seen here for a long time." It was the pink haired girl. She was frowning, but he could also see pity in her eyes.

"No, that's not true. I-I was with him just...just last night!" His breathing was coming out in pants. He closed his mouth and took a steady breath through his nose as he tried to recall those missing events. Noise, humming, alarms going off, bright light and another face appeared in front of him. "Shikamaru.  
Shikamaru was with us. Shikamaru Nara."

There was an audible gasp through the room.

"What the hell are you talking about Sasuke? Shikamaru has been in the village the whole week." The kid told him.

"Is he here? Where is he, I need to find out what happened. Where's my cell phone? I can call him."

More glances back and forth. Pinky was chewing on her lower lip and the blond was just looking at him weird. It was the doctor who turned to the dark haired woman to say something. The woman nodded and quickly left the room.

"What's going on granny? What's wrong with him?" Sasuke's gaze hardened as he glanced over at the kid. Those blue eyes stared back at him, concern clearly etched in them. But before he could make a smart ass comment, the doctor cut in.

"Do you know who any of us are?" She asked calmly.

Sasuke glanced at the three of them, even at the masked weirdo's over by the door. The pink one looked slightly familiar, but it was still foggy in that area.

"I think I know her," he said as he was able to lift his arm slightly and motion at pinky. "But no. None of you look familiar."

"What?"

"Naruto!" The blond kid glared at the doctor.

"But..."

"Quiet! I mean it or I will make you leave."

The kid, or Naruto snapped his mouth shut and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Her unreadable gaze turned back to Sasuke.

"Alright, that's understandable, considering."

Sasuke frowned at that. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Do you know your name?" She asked.

He glared at her. "Sasuke Uchiha."

"And do you know where you are?"

Sasuke glanced around the room. "I'm assuming a hospital, since this isn't my room at home."

"Yes, that's good. What else can you remember? Like do you know how old you are, when your birthday is," she seemed to hesitate a moment before continuing. "Your family?"

He held her gaze a moment before letting his gaze unfocus as he let the fog swirl around a moment. The noise, sensations were still there; but he still wasn't able to get a clear view on anything. He let out a frustrated sound and then shook his head. "I don't… know. Nothing wants to focus."

"It looks like you have a mild case of amnesia – "

"Amnesia?" Naruto shouted. "Is that why he is acting so strange?"

The doctor glared at him, and pinky reached over and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Sakura!" Naruto whined as he glared at her and rubbed his head.

"But from what you are describing it will probably just take a little time for it to come back. It can even be triggered by certain people and objects."

"Then where is Itachi? Why isn't he here?"

The doctor sighed . "Might as well tell you now. Itachi Uchiha is a missing-nin, S-rank. If he showed up here he would be arrested and most likely executed."

"WHAT?" Sasuke felt the blood drain from his face. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARRESTED? AND, AND EXECUTED!" He was starting to hyperventilate. The room seemed to tilt dangerously to one side and the blond kid reached over to steady him. Sasuke pulled away from him. "Don't touch me! Who are you? What the hell is going on? This better not be some kind of sick joke or I swear to god I am going to kill someone. " The kid, Naruto, looked a little stricken from his outburst as did the rest of them.

"This is not a joke Sasuke." The doctor said, even though he could see some pity on her face.

"I know this is hard, but we're here for you. I'm here for you; I'll help you get through this Sasuke." Pinky said and she took a step closer to his bed she reached out a hand to him but he knocked it aside.

"Sasuke." The kid growled.

"Fuck off." Sasuke told him. "I want my cell phone. I want to call my parents." He blinked. Yes, his parents, their faces came easily now as he recalled them. "My parents, where are they? Why aren't they here?"

The pink haired girl stifled a small sob before pressing her hand to her mouth, which was making Sasuke twitch with more irritation. He was getting out of there. Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and without even thinking about it, Sasuke turned and twisted and landed a punch at the kid, hitting him mostly in his chest. It wasn't a hard hit, since Sasuke still had no strength, it was just enough to stun the kid, his eyes wide as he stumbled backwards a step. The freaks at the door made to move towards him. He quickly got to his feet but promptly feel face first to the floor. His legs felt like jelly and wouldn't' move when he told them too.

Flipping around he saw the scowl on the doctors face as she stepped towards him. "You are not going anywhere Sasuke Uchiha, and you will remain here in your room until a further decision is made."

"You can't keep me here! You have NO right to keep me here. I want to call my dad, you'll regret this when he finds out."

With more strength then he believed she was capable of, the doctor bent down, grabbed a hold of the white shirt he wore and practically threw him back onto the bed. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose and gave a loud sigh.

"You're fucking crazy." He told her, eyes slightly wide as he panted. He had to get out of there. What was wrong with these people?

There was a knock on the door and Shikamaru entered along with the dark haired woman, a man who hand a mask over the bottom part of his face and anther covering his left eye, another man who had long blond hair and wore with a head band around his forehead, and then another man who had scars across his face. He looked to be an older version of Shikarmaru. Sasuke froze as they came in, his eyes immediately went to Shikamaru who had turned to the woman.

"You asked for me Tsunade-sama?"

She took hold of Shikamaru and turned him to face Sasuke. "Sasuke Uchiha says he was with you last. Care to inform him where you were two weeks ago?"

A dark gaze looked at him , his brow's slightly furrowed. "I was in Suna, meeting with the Kazekage."

"And have you ever associated with Itachi uchiha?"

"Of course not." He snorted slightly

Sasuke stared at Shikamaru. He looked the same but, different. His clothes were different, even his hair was different. It was pulled up higher on his head, the short ends sticking out, where before it was longer and held at the back of his neck. But his face was undoubtedly the same, even down to the shape of his eyes.

Did she say two weeks ago?

"No, you were there, at the lab. You were being bitchy about it even though we had shown up early."

Shikamaru just frowned at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Where was this located?" The woman asked.

He had to think about that one. Fuck, why could he remember the lab, but not where it was located? "I-I think it is," A street name flashed through his head "North side of Haven Ridge, just one the outskirts of the University."

"University?" Sasuke wasn't sure who had said that.

"What do you want from me? I haven't done anything wrong. I want my phone and my clothes and I want to go home. My fathers the head of the fucking police department so you better be prepared to have answers for him."

There was some slight murmurs from some of the new comers, which were making him nervous. He didn't like how they were looking at him.

"But Sauske, your...your parents are dead." The blond kid said.

If you have ever been on a roller coaster that dropped real fast which made it feel like your stomach was left behind. That's what happened to Sasuke. It felt like his whole world was thrown off axis and the room seemed to want to agree with him.

"No," He said quietly shaking his head. "No, I don't believe you. Your lying."

"It's true Sasuke, they've been dead for years." The doctor said again.

"NO, YOU'RE FUCKING LYING!" Sasuke went to move out of bed again, opposite side of the woman this time. He would crawl out of there if he had too. He would find Itachi and then his parents, because there was no way there were dead.

It was that kid again who got in his way with a determined look on his face.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way." He ground out, the threat clear in his voice.

"You're in no position to go anywhere." The woman told him. He glared at her over his shoulder. Then he glanced at all the others there in the room with him. She was right, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. He looked down, but really his eyes were quickly scanning.

Sasuke tensed and then let his muscle relax as he slumped foreword, sliding dowmwards as if he was going to fall off the bed, and just as he suspected the blond kid reached over to steady him. His hands fisted in the orange jacket the kid wore, quickly placed his feet on the floor and shoved the kid back hard. He saw the look of surprise across his face as Sasuke used him as a battering ram. The kid stumbled backwards he crashed into one of the others and Sasuke made a beeline for the door. Problem was the weirdoes there, they seemed to be ready for him.

Call it instinct but his body seemed to know what to do and using his momentum he dived bombed to the floor, sliding across the wood with momentum. He ignored the pain that flared through his shoulder and the muscle of his legs that burned as he forced them to work. He twisted and grabbed at one of the legs and pulled hard, trying to aim him towards the other. Surprisingly it worked, and the man tried to rebalance but the momentum was against him, it was also against Sasuke and had him slamming into the wall as well. He pulled the door open and pulled himself out into the hallway. Something banged against the door behind him with a loud yelp.

"Get out of the way!" One of them shouted.

He wasn't even going to look since knew his time was running out. Sasuke scrambled to his feet as he pushed himself forward, his legs a bit wobbly as he got up. He stumbled a few times but caught himself against the wall or chair as he pushed himself forward.

"Restrain him, but don't hurt him."The woman's voice boomed out and a quick glance back he could see the others pouring out of the room after him. His feet stumbled and he fell to a knee, just as something whistled above his head and embedded into the wall in front of him.

Adrenalin surged through him. These people were going to kill him. Picking himself up, Sasuke sprinted hard down another corridor, not daring to look back. Suddenly, out of nowhere another masked freak appeared in front of him. This one had his sword drawn in front of him. Sasuke skidded to a stop and took a step back. He could feel his heart pounding and hear the ragged sound of his breathing. Shit, shit, shit. A door to the right was opening slightly and a curious face peaked out. Sasuke lunged at it and pushed the surprised man back from the door and slammed it shut behind him.

There, in front of him, was a window. He ran towards it, a soft breeze was making the curtains dance softly along the wall. If he wasn't too far up he could jump to the ground and find a phone. Glancing down, he saw that he was only a few stories up. He grimaced, not sure how well of a landing he was going to make with the shape his body was in. No time to worry about that now. He had to get out of there fast before they caught up to him. That was about when something odd outside the window caught his attention and he froze.

What the hell?

Where was he? Konoha was a huge city, but this…this was not Konoha.

Sasuke took a step back and then another. He was dimly aware of arms that wrapped around him, which was a good thing since his legs gave out.

"Where am I?" He asked his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hmm?" A deeper voice sounded behind him.

"Where am I?" He screamed. He started to thrash against whoever was holding him, but they were strong and not budging.

"You're in Konoha." The woman said as she came in. Her brown eyes were dark with anger as she walked towards him.

"Bullshit! I **live** in Konoha and this isn't it! Who the fuck are you people?"

The woman glared at him then turned towards the blond haired ponytail man. "Yamanaka."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," He said as he approached Sasuke, his hand raised towards him.

Sasuke tried to move his head to the side as he struggled. "Let me go! Don't touch me." He practically growled. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. The hand was cool as it pressed against his head and Sasuke blinked up into a bright summer sun.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Memories**

**I do not own Naruto.**

This chapter is a little different, I believe the title should speak for itself. Sorry for the long wait, had some issues that took a few months to work out. I am excited to write this story and can't wait until we get to the modern world with the other Sasuke, although my updates may be a little slow. Enjoy!

* * *

He tried walking towards the duck again but the annoying thing kept moving away from him. Sasuke sat down on the ground and folded his arms over his chest. Fine, he wasn't going to try then. He blinked his eyes, refusing to cry. His stupid eyes didn't want to obey him though as a few stray tears fell.

"Oh Sasuke," His mother's voice said softly, a hint of laugher in it. "Come her son." She sat down next to him and pulled him into her lap. "Give me your hand." Sasuke held out his hand as his mother placed some more bread crumbs in his palm. She then slid her hand under his. "Keep your hand straight and hold still."

He did as she told and kept his eyes on that annoying duck. The foul bird slowly made its way over towards them and reached out and ate the crumbs from his hand. Sasuke couldn't help but laugh from the ticklish feeling he got which made the duck run off again. His mother began laughing and her fingers slid to his belly and tickled him some more.

When he was out of breath and tears had streaked down his checks, she picked him and set him on the ground. "Come on, it's time for us to get some lunch too." She said as she entwined his smaller hand in hers.

* * *

Seriously this had to be the biggest, fucking hill in Konoha. Sasuke stood near the top, his skateboard clenched in his hand. He held it a little tighter than usual so Itachi couldn't see his hand shaking. He wasn't going to admit to being scared.

"You don't have to do it you know." Itach said beside him.

"I'm not afraid." Sasuke muttered, but he was sure his brother heard the slight waiver of his voice. There was a _thunk_ as Itachi slapped his palm against Sasuke's helmet that was on his head.

"I never said you were twerp. Way older kids than you have chickened out."

Sasuke glared at him from under his helmet then turned to look back down the hill. He was the one that begged Itachi to bring him out here. He knew mom would probably freak if she found out. He suppressed the shudder at the thought of dad finding out. Fugaku Uchiha wasn't above arresting his own son, if it scared some sense into him. That was, if he got caught.

His brother had been only five when he conquered the infamous road. It was outside the city limits and lead to the top of the mountain. Most people came here to hike and picnic and get away from the noisy city. Young couples made the trek to make out at night. The city made a fantastic view, all lit up as it usually was. Currently, the city was the furthest thing from Sasuke's mind. It sat behind him, hiding behind the trees.

Biting his lip, Sasuke studied the road, noting how it turned slightly to the right halfway down. Many a person had left their mark, literally, on that small bit. If he did this he would be the talk of the school. Alright, so Sasuke was three years older than when Itachi had accomplished this feat, but still, no one in his class was near his own level of skill. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for this.

"Come on little brother, perhaps another day. I don't think you're ready."

Sasuke looked at his brothers retreating back, his mouth open. What? Not ready? Itachi was going to let it go just like that? He first felt relief that he didn't have to do this but then something else spread through him. Anger and determination. Turning back towards the hill, Sasuke dropped his board and without a second thought his feet had pushed off and he was flying.

It was fantastic, the adrenaline pumped through his veins as the wind rushed past him. He shifted his weight and added the right pressure as that turn came up and he was past it. He laughed out loud and glanced over his shoulder to see Itachi right behind him. His grin was just as big as Sasukes.

They quickly reached the bottom and gradually slowed down. Sasuke kicked his board up and flipped it into his hands just has his brothers arm went around his shoulders.

"See, I knew you could do it." Itachi beamed at him. Sasuke just smirked and elbowed him gently in the ribs.

"Jerk." He muttered, but his smile belied his insult.

* * *

He was cold and hungry and to stubborn to go home. Sasuke sat huddled under the plastic contraption the younger kids played on at the park. The rain pelted against it was annoying, but he wasn't going to be going out in it anytime soon. He snuffled and rubbed his nose against his sleeve. At least he had stopped crying. How pathetic he must look, but at the moment he really couldn't care.

How could he have said that to his brother? The look on his face when Sasuke had yelled at him had broken his own heart. Sasuke had snapped and it wasn't even Itachi's fault.

All the teaches at school were unfair, continuously comparing his papers and grades to those of his brothers. Sasuke got practically all A's and still it wasn't good enough. He had to continuously hear about Itachi this and Itachi that. How Itachi's projects were always so original and well thought out and planned. How Itachi graduated from High School when he was just thirteen and how they keep pushing Sasuke to take the same fucking tests to see if he could prove to be as smart as his brother.

Sasuke didn't want to take the tests, he wanted to do things his way. He knew he wasn't as smart as Itachi and he had been okay with that.

Then why had he told Itachi that he hated him and it was all his fault that Sasuke couldn't do anything right?

God, he was such a moron. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. How could he ever go back home and face him. He began to shiver slightly, but he ignored it and squeezed his arms around his legs tighter. His pants were soaked, his shirt wasn't fairing much better in this shelter and his damp hair starting to drip into his face and down his back.

He didn't hear the footsteps until they were practically on top of him with the rain. Sasuke stiffened as a dark blue poncho appeared in the fading light and slid in next to him. Itachi pushed the hood back and just sat there next to him. The smell of hot coffee wafted towards him and without even looking at him Itachi held out the covered beverage. Sasuke's hands fisted in his pants, he couldn't look at his brother.

"Go on, take it." Itachi sighed.

Sasuke reached over and took the cup, letting the warmth soak into his cold hands, but he kept his eyes fixed on the cup. He wanted to say something, to apologize, but that stupid lump in this throat wasn't allowing it.

"Mom told me what happened."

"Itachi, I..."

"She's going to talk to the school about it." He paused and Sasuke knew he glanced over at him then looked away. "Unless you don't want her too. I could talk to Iruka. He's actually pretty smart when it comes to handing things like that. It might surprise you, but he helped me out back when...umph."

Sasuke lunged at his brother and hugged him, his body shivering with cold and shame.

"Sorry, Itachi. I-I didn't mean it." Arms came around him and rubbed his back.

"I know." He said softly. "I know." Itachi's ruffled his damp hair and Sasuke tried to hide his sniffles. They sat like that for a while, not needing to say anything. "Let's get you back before mom gets dad to send a patrol squad out after you."

* * *

"Fugaku, stop." His mom giggled. She actually giggled. Sasuke rolled his eyes and firmly kept them away from his parents. He did not want to see them making out like some teenagers while on vacation.

Heaving a sigh he walked over towards the water's edge and let the waves lap at his feet. He squished his toes into the wet sand enjoying the warm water as it caressed him. He began to wonder where Itachi had gotten off too. The rat had left him alone to deal with his parents and he was going to make him pay for that.

Sasuke was going to be starting High school next year, and dad was already pressuring him to start prepping for the Academy. As proud as Fugaku was of Itachi achievements, Sasuke knew he wanted one of his son's to work in law enforcement with him. Which left Sasuke to fulfill that desire.

A particularly large wave washed up to his knees brining Sasuke out of his thoughts. He realized that he had walked further than he thought along the coast line. Up ahead was a rocky outcrop and Sasuke made his way towards them. It was about the time that he heard a slight noise, a soft female laugh. Curious, Sasuke climbed the rocky outcrop and stopped short.

There was his brother, making out with one of the local girls. His hand was on the back of her head, his mouth pressed against hers, with her arms wrapped around his neck. Itachi used his other hand to wrap around the girls waist and pulled her against him.

He was shocked into momentary stillness as he watched his brother. Then, with a smirk, he pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures. For blackmail purposes obviously. What he wasn't planning on was his mom texting him at that exact moment and of course his phone was _not_ on vibrate. Sasuke glanced over at Itachi who had turned to glare at him. Grinning, Sasuke took off. He didn't dare look back, he knew Itachi would be right behind him.

* * *

The car sped down the road as Sasuke changed lanes, passing the slower traffic and taking the turn down their street just a bit too fast, but he liked it. Liked driving, the speed, the control, the thrill. He pressed his foot down on the gas a little bit more and felt the car lurch forward. Sasuke didn't slow down much as he pulled into the driveway, coming to an abrupt stop with the slight squeal from the tires.

Grinning, Sasuke turned to look at his father who sat staring, wide eyed straight ahead. One hand clutched at the dashboard, the other on the handle of the door.

"Well?" Sasuke asked.

Fugaku held up a hand and closed his eyes a minute before putting his palm out. "Give me the keys."

"What? But..."

"Give me the keys." It was the tone of voice he used that brooked no room for argument.

"Come off it! You can't tell me..."

"Give me the keys Sasuke."

Sasuke snapped his mouth shut, turned the car off and practically slammed the keys into his dad's hand. Fugaku pulled his hand back and took a shaky breath.

"I'm going to contact your driving instructor tomorrow and see what it is they teach you in that class."

"What are you talking about, I'm a great driver. What did I do wrong?"

His dad opened the car door and got out; Sasuke opened his own and followed his dad into the house his complaints falling on deaf ears.

* * *

"What's wrong with this shirt?" Sasuke asked as he changed it again for the fourth time. The pink haired demon glared at him a moment before going back through his closet. At least she definitely looked like a demon at the moment. He swallowed and just did as she asked. Sakura really was only trying to help.

"Because you want to catch his attention, not scare him away." She said as she pushed through the clothes hanging there, not that she hadn't already gone through them a dozen times.

Sasuke had just finished buttoning up the last shirt she had given him when she pulled out another one. She walked over to him and held it up to him. Taking a step back, as far as her arm would allow, Sakura looked him up and down.

"Put this one on."

Sasuke glared at her, but it had no effect. When did his glare stop working on her? "What's wrong with this one?" He asked as he began to take it off.

"Nothing, but I think this one makes your skin tone stand out a little more."

He rolled his eyes. "What skin tone. I've always been pale you know. Can't hold a tan to save my life."

"Exactly, it's one of your best features. Now put it on."

"Fine," He said as he yanked off the one he just put on. Sasuke was aware of Sakura watching as he changed but it really wasn't unusual. After he had discovered his sexuality, whatever would have blossomed between them changed to something along the lines of best friends. Her stare tonight was anything but predatory. She knew a certain blond artist had caught Sasuke's attention and she was helping Sasuke get his.

"Better?" He asked as he put the shirt on. A slow smiled spread across her face and she winked at him.

"Much, now let's go. Maybe one of us will get lucky and get laid tonight."

* * *

"...and it's more developed aspects dealing with in terms of quantum field theory, string theory, and speculative quantum gravity theories."

"Hn," Sasuke replied as he twirled the pen around on his fingers. He'd spaced out to his brother's explanations long ago. He was trying to write an essay for History regarding the past Hokagage's and what, if any, contributions they had brought to the city. Itachi had seemed excited about his new project so he had asked him about it. He wasn't expecting him to continue on and on and on. It really was interesting, he just had no idea what he was talking about.

"You're not really listening are you?" Itachi sighed.

Sasuke mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at Itachi, a small apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry, you had me until you went in depth with your mathematical equations. You know I can keep that shit straight in my head."

Itachi just grunted and continued to type on his laptop, getting his project request papers and grants in order.

"So, what would the point be in discovering these other worlds?" Sasuke asked. Itachi paused in his typing and quirked and eyebrow at him. Sasuke just smirked at him. See, he had paid attention to some of it. Itachi shook his head slightly in amusement.

"You surprise me sometimes little brother. Not many people do that you know."

Sasuke drew a few doodles along his papers edge. His own laptop was opened beside him, but he preferred to write down his outline in an actual paper notebook before he started. Itachi went back to typing on his laptop, and it was a few seconds before he answered.

"Well, because at this point it's just theory. Many people in the science community still just brush it off as just nonsense. But to me, the thought, even the idea, of there being other worlds like ours, in different universes, is fascinating and even a challenge to see if I can prove that it isn't just nonsense."

"Hn, and the point to this would be?"

Itachi turned and stared at him and Sasuke could see that fire that burned in him. The excitement of discovering something new that no one else had yet burned there.

"Imagine the idea that _you_ could exists at the same time in more than one place. Worlds upon worlds of different _Sasuke's_, each living a different life or similar lives. Some of these places could be wildly different from our own, depending on the circumstances on which those worlds were created. There could be countless possibilities.

"Yet each one of you would have different experiences, different outcomes. In one world you could be a doctor, in another a lawyer, and yet in another you could be a murderer. Just think if we were able to _tap_ into the power of travelling or communicating with your other selves what the possibilities could be, think about the intelligence and knowledge you could pass from one to the other. The options would virtually be limitless.

"And that, my little brother, is why I do it. To discover if it is real, if it is even possible. To see if there is something _more_ to our meager existence than what we see in front of us, and perhaps to even discover what that purpose might be. The power of the universe could be laid bare before us. It is the building blocks to a higher plane of existence or the possibilities of what that existence could mean. Knowledge is power little brother."

Sasuke was ensnared by Itachi's words as that fire that possessed his brother leaked into his own soul. He could feel that raw burning desire and knew that nothing would stop Itachi from reaching his goals. It sent shivers down his spine and the whole concept still left Sasuke's head reeling.

* * *

The light was so bright it hurt his eyes as it ripped him apart. Itachi was yelling his name, the panic and fear evident on his face. This time, instead of everything going black, Sasuke's eyesight slowly brought the room back in focus around him. His eyes meet the shocked look from the man who had somehow invaded his mind. He wasn't sure how he knew that, or how it was even possible. An unsettled felling came over him as he had a moment of clarity. One he wished he hadn't had.

"Oh fuck." He whispered, just before he leaned over and emptied what little there was in his stomach.


End file.
